Darrell Case's Blog

Which conveys more emotion? He wept. Or his chest heaved, his eyes filled with tears, his heart pounded so hard he was sure she could hear it. “You want a divorce?” Or? “Yo…you…want a…divorce.” A few minutes ago, he felt life could not get better. Now it was over.

He asks her to marry him. Or? A young couple stood in the park, holding hands. The light of a full moon filtered through the leaves of a giant oak. Her lips curled in the cute smile he loved. This was the moment he prayed and waited for. He is glad they are in the shadow of the street lamp. This way, she couldn’t see the flush on his cheeks. He goes to one knee. He fumbles with the small box in his sweaty hand. His mouth is dry. The words almost die in his throat. The next few seconds will determine if they form a partnership that will last a lifetime or if they go their separate ways. Quietly he chokes out.” Will you marry me?” He has rehearsed these words a hundred times today. Her eyes fill with tears, spilling over running down her cheeks. “Yes or yes, “she cries. He sighs with relief.
The killer chased her. Or? The trees flash past. Terror is tearing her heart out. She is bawling. Tears fly off her flushed cheeks. She screams but there is no one to hear her pleading. Death is coming. He is seconds behind her; the knife raised in his hand. She stumbles going down. She’s up in an instant. He slashes missing her shoulder by an inch. She cries “Please God. Help me. Oh, please help me.” Will God hear her? She’s not sure. But the killer does. He has killed before. Her heart pounds sweat and tears mix dripping off her chin, flying off her ears. The hunting knife slashes this time, finding its mark.
The writer’s job is to help the reader see the story. If we cannot convey the emotions, the narrative will fall flat. We, as authors, paint a picture the reader can see, feel, and experience. We put the reader in the middle of the action.

Would you write if you gained no readers? If it cost and not paid. If it took years for your first book and more years for your second. In the beginning, you bragged about your writing, but now you don't want to talk about it. Did someone ridicule your writing? You sent out your manuscripts and received one, two, a dozen or more rejections?

Would you still write if someone in authority said you had no talent? Would you keep on going forward, pushing and pushing? Would keep on going if you knew for certain it would be years after your death, before your books were discovered. What if your book sold only one copy but that one copy changed that one person’s life? Would you still write?

If you answered yes, you are a writer. The ranks of history are full of those who labored all their lives without recognition. Who were rejected time and time again. Those who borrowed because they couldn’t sell what they had written Yet they continued writing, honing their craft. They left the naysayers in the dust. Their critics like puppies barking at their heels. Still, they persisted. Not quitting, not giving up on their dream. Their passion not financial or for recognition, but because they loved the craft. Because to them their words come alive. Because if their book changed, no one else’s life it has changed their own.

So keep at it. Pull the words from the depths of your soul when they don't come. When the rejections roll in. When You feel you want to wipe out everything you have written. At the worst of times, write in the best of times write. You are a writer, write

My wife loved Christmas. The day after Thanksgiving, I would bring the artificial tree in from the garage. Then climb the ladder to the attic over the office and bring down the decorations. Together we set up the tree and deck it with ornaments and lights. A job my wife took seriously. Sometime she made cookies and hot chocolate. We searched the containers for Christmas videos and DVDs. Later, she would spend hours wrapping the gifts for others. Her wrapping clean and precise. Each one with a label. Soon the house would shine with the glory of Christmas.


That night we would enjoy pizza as we watch some Christmas show we played every year. What a blessing it was to relax in her arms as the movie progressed. On Christmas morning she picked from the tree just the right order of gifts, then presented them to me. She watched in anticipation as I opened what she lovingly selected. Christmas was always a wonder for her. But the greatest blessing I received was having her as my wife. And the greatest gift I received on Christmas morning or any time throughout the year was to have her as my companion.

This year I will face Christmas alone. On July 20th at 1:55 PM. my wife when home to be with The Lord. After 42 years of being together to say I miss her would be an understatement. The touch of her hand, her kiss of greeting her each morning, the house is empty without her. So this year and every year until The Lord calls me home, I will face Christmas alone. Yet I’m not alone, for the memory of her is in every smile and every Christmas carol.

For several years, I taught a course on pastoring at a local prison. The first question I ask the class of eager students was why. Why would you want to be a pastor? Why would you want to be on call 24/7? To give up time with your family or other activities? Some believe erroneously a pastor only preaches on Sunday; therefore, the rest of the week is leisure time.

Nothing could be farther from the truth. A pastor studies prays resolves conflicts and is involved in every aspect of the church. If a member of the church is in an accident or becomes ill enough to go to the hospital at 2 or 3 AM. If they are scheduled for surgery at 6 in the morning, they expect their pastor to be there. Consequently, pastoring is a calling, not an occupation.

Likewise, the same is true with being a Christian author or writer. According to Bowker, there are 2,700 books published each day or approximately 1,000,000 annually. An author has a one in a million chance of their book raising above the crowd. With many books on the market and more being added daily, it very difficult to make your voice heard. So why in the world would you want to write a book? Why spend hours, days, months and sometimes years writing a novel? There has to be something beyond the joy of seeing your name in print or your book on store shelves.

Why would you want to be a writer? Because it is the most wonderful profession on earth. You, my friend, get to generate people who live in an unseen world. You share their joys, their sorrows. You see them grow and develop into individuals who speak love, hate work play, get married, and have children. From a little spark in your mind, they come into being. Even the minor characters have something important to say. They move the story froward. The main characters must change by the end of the book. The reason the villain is the villain is significant in the book. Why is he or she like they are? Did something happen in their childhood that shaped them? Later in life?

Soon you are in a world of your own making. The thread that began on the first page must run to the last. The beginning must have a hook which keeps the reader turning pages until they finish the book. Just like a good meal, it must satisfy the reader with the story and its conclusion. The book must leave a good taste in their mouth and have them eager to pick up another book by the same author.

So, you want to be a writer? Get ready for a very rocky road. One filled with heartaches sorrows and disappointments. Get ready for rejections and possibly ridicule. Get ready for hard work with little or no reward.

Get ready for excitement, which grows daily. Get ready to lose yourself in a world of your own making. Get ready to meet characters who will change your life forever. Get ready for the greatest calling in the world.

So, you want to be a writer? Good for you.

For several years, I taught a course on pastoring at a local prison. The first question I ask the class of eager students was why. Why would you want to be a pastor? Why would you want to be on call 24/7? To give up time with your family or other activities? Some believe erroneously a pastor only preaches on Sunday; therefore, the rest of the week is leisure time.

Nothing could be farther from the truth. A pastor studies prays resolves conflicts and is involved in every aspect of the church. If a member of the church is in an accident or becomes ill enough to go to the hospital at 2 or 3 AM. If they are scheduled for surgery at 6 in the morning, they expect their pastor to be there. Consequently, pastoring is a calling, not an occupation.

Likewise, the same is true with being a Christian author or writer. According to Bowker, there are 2,700 books published each day or approximately 1,000,000 annually. An author has a one in a million chance of their book raising above the crowd. With many books on the market and more being added daily, it very difficult to make your voice heard. So why in the world would you want to write a book? Why spend hours, days, months and sometimes years writing a novel? There has to be something beyond the joy of seeing your name in print or your book on store shelves.

Why would you want to be a writer? Because it is the most wonderful profession on earth. You, my friend, get to generate people who live in an unseen world. You share their joys, their sorrows. You see them grow and develop into individuals who speak love, hate work play, get married, and have children. From a little spark in your mind, they come into being. Even the minor characters have something important to say. They move the story froward. The main characters must change by the end of the book. The reason the villain is the villain is significant in the book. Why is he or she like they are? Did something happen in their childhood that shaped them? Later in life?

Soon you are in a world of your own making. The thread that began on the first page must run to the last. The beginning must have a hook which keeps the reader turning pages until they finish the book. Just like a good meal, it must satisfy the reader with the story and its conclusion. The book must leave a good taste in their mouth and have them eager to pick up another book by the same author.

So, you want to be a writer? Get ready for a very rocky road. One filled with heartaches sorrows and disappointments. Get ready for rejections and possibly ridicule. Get ready for hard work with little or no reward.

Get ready for excitement, which grows daily. Get ready to lose yourself in a world of your own making. Get ready to meet characters who will change your life forever. Get ready for the greatest calling in the world.

So, you want to be a writer? Good for you.

I love writing fiction. To create an unseen world to have characters who didn’t exist before come into being. To live and breathe and speak first to me, then to others. To have them set down in my office and tell me their story.

I’m aware I will fill the first drift of the short story or novel with errors. The characters may be more like cardboard people with no depth and no personality. Their speech jumbled, slow or incoherent. They may have been in my mind for a few months or years. As I write, their narrative becomes clearer. Each one tells their side of the story. Each one giving an account of themselves and explaining why they preform the way they do.

It then becomes my task to write their story. To bring them together until the story or novel makes sense. To make them real, first to myself, then to my readers. This could take two, three or more rewrites.

As the story comes together, I hear a ping in the distance, then another and still another until it forms a tune. In the rewrite, the melody becomes stronger and clearer until it is a full-grown song.

This may take a year, two years or more. Then the novel sings, and there is no other song like it. Of the books I have written, each one has a distinct melody. If I have performed my work correctly, the one who reads my work will hear the song of the words.

Son las 6 AM, mi Sheltie descansa a mis pies debajo del escritorio. Dos colibríes zumban alrededor de los comederos. Tendré que rellenarlos más tarde hoy. De vez en cuando vuelan por las ventanas abiertas de mi oficina. Abajo, junto al manzano, una cierva mastica la hierba. La zarigüeya que molesté cuando llegué a mi oficina a las cinco probablemente ya esté dormida. En lo profundo del bosque, los búhos llaman "quién cocina para ti". Pronto se encontrarán y su saludo sonará como un par de monos. La corriente que baja la colina fluye tranquilamente ahora. El torrente de la lluvia de la semana pasada desapareció, reemplazado por un suave murmullo. La música del agua que cae sobre el tronco se mezcla con los cantos de los pájaros. El cielo se ilumina en la bruma de plumas del este que se eleva desde los campos. Dentro de una hora, el sol llegará a una temperatura en los 90. El mundo se está despertando. Sin embargo, no escucho ni veo nada de eso. Estoy inmerso en la escritura de mi libro más reciente. Estoy involucrado en un tiroteo, persecución policial, asesinato, secuestro o investigación. He estado en eso por un tiempo aún con meses para que termine el libro. La escritura va bien, pero es el primer borrador. Cuando se complete, se enviará al editor corregido, lo último que quiero es errores, se creó una portada y luego se envió a los distribuidores. Cuando termine, comenzaré de nuevo con otro libro. Y ha sido así durante más de 25 años. Así es la vida de un escritor de ficción. Alrededor de las ocho regresaré al mundo real, apagué mi computadora e iré a desayunar con mi esposa. Luego completaré cualquier tarea que deba ser atendida en la casa. Más tarde en el día volveré a las páginas de la historia.

¿Me siento culpable? A veces. ¿Cómo puede pedir a sus lectores que gasten su dinero en lo que con gusto haría gratis? Los escritores de ficción son un poco extraños. Podemos profundizar en la historia viviendo en otro lugar experimentando angustias, alegrías, triunfos, trayendo al héroe o villano a la existencia. Luego nos alejamos de la computadora y vivimos una vida normal. Al día u hora siguiente, volvemos al mundo de los que solo somos conscientes. Sin embargo, la historia siempre está ahí obsesionándonos invadiendo nuestros pensamientos a veces incluso nuestros sueños. Puede mantenernos cautivos durante meses o años. Sin embargo, no es una experiencia desagradable. Podemos parecer distraídos a veces nuestros pensamientos lejos de la conversación que tenemos entre manos. Nuestros ojos en algún lugar distante, lejos de donde están plantados nuestros pies. Si dice algo, podemos pedirle que lo repita. No estamos tratando de ser groseros o irrespetuosos. No es porque no te escuchamos, sino que las voces de nuestros personajes te ahogaron. Si entraran por la puerta, no nos sorprendería. Nuestros personajes se han vuelto tan reales para nosotros como cualquier miembro de nuestra familia. Mientras escribimos, podemos llorar, reír o sonreír. Si la escritura va bien, nos perdemos en la historia y el mundo exterior se desvanece. Algunos pueden creer que un libro no es un libro hasta que se publica. Sin embargo, creo que comienza a vivir en el momento en que escribe o escribe la primera palabra.

Several times over the years I’ve been ask why I write the way I do. Why as Christians do we write about the dark side of life? Why speak about evil? The simple answer is because it exists. God asks us to be the light of the world directing those in darkness to him. If I only write of peace, joy, happiness, love, and not the consequences of sin do not warn of evil. Have I preformed my job?

We as Christian writers must weave a story where we illustrate the depths of sin and the glory of God. In my novels, I endeavor to show not just the wickedness of the villain, but also The Lord’s redemptive power. There is a reason why the villain becomes evil and chooses the bad over the good. No child comes out of the womb seeking evil. A baby is a clean slate. We as adults have the responsibility if teaching children right from wrong. Showing them with our behavior, how to live a happy and productive life.

Through the centuries, literature is rampant with violent books. For example, think of Ben-Hur written by Lew Wallace or The Red Badge of Courage by Stephen Crane. At one time The Red Badge of Courage was banned. One of the reasons, being it was too violent. Yet today both books today considered classics.
The Bible in its self speaks of the sin. David sees Bathsheba washing herself and commits adultery with her. Later he has her husband murdered. In the New Testament, the apostle Paul is holding the coats of those killing Steven. In stoning, a person’s body is broken and bloody. The greatest example of violence is the crucifixion of The Lord Jesus Christ. Whipping had ripped His back apart, nails were driven through His hands and feet. A crown of thrones pounded into the top of His head. Two thieves were suffering and dying on either side of Him. The stench of blood, body odor and death was everywhere. Yet it is by the shedding of Christ blood we are saved.

So we might ask ourselves as Christian authors how could we not write about sin. How could I, as writer ignore the evils of mankind? Yet with my words show the glory of a loving God. Sin is messy; sin is evil. However, God breaks through our wickedness to bring forth His redemption.

It's 6 AM my Sheltie rest at my feet under the desk. Two hummingbirds buzz around the feeders. I’ll need to refill them later today. Occasionally they fly in and out the open windows of my office. Down by the apple tree a doe is munching on the grass. The possum I disturbed when I came to my office at five is probably asleep by now. Deep in the woods bard owls call ‘who cooks for you’. They will find each other soon their greeting sounding like a couple of monkeys. The stream down the hill is flowing calmly now. The torrent of last week’s rain gone, replaced by a gentle murmur. The music of the water falling over the log mixes with the songs of birds. The sky lightens in the east feathery mist rising from the fields. Within an hour, the sun will be steaming its way to a temperature in the 90’s.The world is waking up.
Yet I hear and see none of it. I’m deep in the writing of my most recent book. I’m involved in a shootout, police chase, murder, abduction or investigation. I’ve been at it awhile with still months to go before the book is completed. The writing is going well, but it’s the first draft. When it if completed it will be sent to the publisher corrected- the last thing I want is errors- a cover created and then sent to the distributors. When it’s finished, I will start again with another book. And it’s been this way for over 25 years. Thus is the life of a fiction writer.
Around eight I’ll come back to the real world shut down my computer and go have breakfast with my wife. Afterwards I will complete any task that needs to be taken care of around the house. Later in the day I’ll return to the pages of the story.
Do I feel guilty? Sometimes. How can you ask your readers to spend their money for what you would gladly do for free.
Fiction writers are a little strange. We can be deep in the story living in another place experiencing heartaches joys triumphs bringing the hero or villain to existence. Then we step away from the computer and live a normal life. The next day or hour, we are back in the world only we are aware of. However, the story is always there haunting us invading our thoughts at times even our dreams. It can hold us captive for months or years. Yet it is not an unpleasant experience. We may seem distracted at times our thoughts far from the conversation at hand. Our eyes in some distant place, far from where our feet are planted. If you say something, we may ask you to repeat it. We’re not trying to be rude or disrespectful. It isn’t because we didn’t hear you but the voices of our characters drowned you out. If they walked through the door, we would not be surprised. Our characters have become as real to us as any member of our family.
As we write, we may weep, laugh or smile. If the writing is going well, we become lost in the story and the outside world fades away. Some may believe a book is not a book until it’s published. However, I believe it begins to live the minute you type or write out the first word.

In reading of Ernest Hemingway, Thomas Wolfe, and F. Scott Fitzgerald, I found one common denominator. Their editor Maxwell Perkins. Perkins was an extraordinary individual. From 1914 until his death in 1947, Maxwell Perkins was employed as an editor for Charles Scribner’s and Sons. With his expertise, he guided his authors to greatness.

Perkins talent for cutting, shaping encouraging and suggesting passages in novels made him a friend to his authors. While editors employed at other firms saw their position as an occupation, Perkins built a legacy. Through his guidance, many of the novels have stood the test of time. Among these are Look Homeward Angel, The Great Gatsby, The Sun also Rises, The Yearling and others.

For Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings his suggestion of The Yearling led to her winning the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1938. His insight was remarkable. Laboring long hours after his workday at Scribner’s Maxwell Perkins and Thomas Wolfe produced Of Time and the River. This novel made Wolfe a national celebrity and a legend in his own time. Perkins spent countless hours working with his authors to produce some of the greatest books in history.

Yet for all his commitment, Perkins faded into the background. By his own admission, Maxwell Perkins felt editors should be anonymous. The ones to be pushed to the forefront to receive honor were Maxwell Perkins writers and the books they authored.

So many times, we as authors view an editor as our enemy. Those who desire to cut out the art we have labored so hard to create. However, an editor’s task is very difficult. They walk a delicate line between satisfying the author and the readers. They must shape our books making them exciting and palatable without losing the book’s music. Each novel has a tune of its own. A good editor recognizes and brings out the rhythm making a book sing without losing the voice of the author. Therefore, if you have a good editor be sure to thank him or her today. Together in partnership, the author and editor bring to the public their best work of art.